The Accident
by Kristen3
Summary: When Daphne has a fender bender in Frasier's car and fears for her job, she turns to Niles for comfort.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**Usual disclaimer applies: I own nothing, etc. Many thanks to Leigh Ann (leighann415) for providing feedback as I wrote this. Also thanks to Andrea (iloveromance) for encouraging me to get this posted! *Hugs*

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><p>"I'm coming!" Niles shouted as he walked toward his front door. The insistent knocking continued. Niles sighed. He'd been in his study, updating some patient files. He did not have the time or the patience to deal with this interruption. Finally he opened the door. To his surprise, Daphne stood there, looking more frightened than he'd ever seen her. She seemed to be trying very hard not to cry, but wasn't doing a very good job of it.<p>

"What's the matter?" Niles asked, immediately taking her hand and helping her into the apartment.

"It was horrible!" Daphne exclaimed.

"What was?" Niles asked, as he guided her to the fainting couch.

"Me car's in the shop, so I asked your brother to lend me his. Well, I practically had to beg him to let me drive the bloody thing! So I was out doing a bit of shopping, groceries and such. But then..." Daphne suddenly began to sob.

Niles reached over and took her hand in his. "Daphne, you can tell me anything. I hope you know that."

She gave his hand a little squeeze, grateful for his kindness. "I just had an accident. With your brother's car! Oh, he's going to kill me, I just know it!"

"Frasier won't kill you. Do you know what a thing like that would do to his image?" Niles grinned. He hoped his joke would make her feel better. He wanted that more than anything in the world.

"I didn't mean he'd _murder _me, Dr. Crane. But I know he's going to fire me. You know how much he loves that car!" Tears once again filled her eyes.

Immediately, Niles took the box of tissues from the coffee table and handed it to her. "Frasier might be upset, but he wouldn't do that."

"How can you be so sure?" Daphne replied as she wiped her tears. "He gets so angry if I don't arrange his knick-knacks just so on the shelves when I've finished dusting. What do you think he'll do when he finds out his precious car is ruined?"

Niles' heart broke, seeing the woman he loved in such pain. "I won't let him fire you. I promise."

"Thank you, Dr. Crane. You're a wonderful friend," Daphne replied, smiling for the first time since she'd come here.

Niles tried not to let her see how much it hurt to be called a "friend." To cover, he said, "Would you like a cup of tea?"

"That would be lovely," Daphne replied. Somehow, just seeing the way Dr. Crane's brother was treating her made her feel a bit better. He always seemed to know just the right thing to say when she had a problem.


	2. Chapter 2

When Niles entered the kitchen, his conscience began to whisper in his mind. _Call Frasier_. That's what the small voice said. He almost reached for the receiever. But then he thought of his angel, frightened and alone on his fainting couch. Calling Frasier now would only upset her more, he reasoned. As he began to prepare the tea, he tried not to think about whose interests he had in mind in making that decision: Daphne's, or his own.

Niles carried the tea out on a small try. He gasped when he entered the living room and saw Daphne once again wiping her tears. He immediately set the tray on his coffee table. "Here you go."

"Thank you, Dr. Crane. You're so kind." Daphne managed to smile despite her tears.

"Don't mention it," Niles replied. An awkward silence followed. Daphne began to drink the tea he'd brought. It seemed to calm her somewhat, but Niles could see she was still afraid.

"I don't know why I'm acting this way," Daphne finally said.

"Well, car accidents can be frightening," Niles replied. "Where is Frasier's car now?" He hadn't thought to ask the question until this moment.

"It's parked downstairs. The car's still drivable, but it's definitely got a huge dent in it. I think your brother would notice!" Daphne laughed slightly.

"I'm sure he would," Niles agreed. "But a car is just a thing. Frasier knows that. The most important thing is that you're okay. If something happened to you, well..." He couldn't finish the sentence. Even picturing that scenario was heartbreaking. Especially since she had no idea how much he loved her.

Daphne squeezed his hand. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Niles replied, as a bolt of lightning seemed to shoot up his arm. "You know you're welcome to stay here as long as you like, but I think you _will_ eventually have to face Frasier."

"I know," Daphne agreed. "But...what if he's not as understanding as you are?"

Niles blushed at her compliment. "Well, thank you, but I don't think you have much to worry about. After all, Frasier knows...how much Dad loves having you around." He'd meant to say, _Frasier knows how much I love you_, but couldn't quite bring himself to do it.

"I'm fond of your father, too," Daphne replied. Though she and Martin often disagreed, he had almost become a second father to her.

"And we're all fond of you," Niles said, feeling his face growing hot.

Daphne blushed. "Thank you. But that's why I'm so afraid. Because I love this job, and I don't know what I'd do with meself if I lost it!" Once again, her emotions overwhelmed her.

Niles immediately put a hand on her back. "It's OK, Daphne. I promise, I won't let Frasier fire you." When his words could not fully stop the tears, he simply put his arms around her while she continued to cry. He felt utterly helpless as he watched her tears fall, one after the other.


	3. Chapter 3

When Daphne's tears had subsided somewhat, Niles knew he had to do something. He couldn't watch her suffer a single second longer. "I'll be right back, OK?" Daphne nodded hesitantly. He hated to leave her side, but he couldn't see any other option.

Niles headed for his study and immediately picked up the phone. Quickly, he dialed Frasier's number. The phone was answered almost instantly.

"I was just about to call you! Do you have any idea where Daphne is? She left an hour ago to pick up a few groceries, but we haven't seen her since. I'm starting to get worried. Dad thinks we should call -"

"She's here," Niles interrupted.

"She's there?" Frasier exclaimed. "What is she doing there?"

"Now, Frasier, stay calm. Daphne sort of...had an accident with your car." Niles tried to break the news to his brother as gently as possible.

"What?" Frasier asked. "Was anyone hurt? Oh, God, my BMW! How bad is it?" Frasier sounded like a worried family member questioning an emergency-room physician.

"She says there's a large dent in the side," Niles replied. "But the biggest problem is -"

"Oh, dear God! I'll be right over!"

"But, Frasier, you've got to calm down because Daphne is very frightened, and -" But he stopped talking when he heard the dial tone. It was too late to stop his brother now. With a frustrated sigh, Niles hung up.

He walked back in to the living room, where Daphne seemed much more composed now. "Well, I've just called Frasier. He's on his way here."

Daphne's calm immediately left her. Her eyes went wide with alarm. Niles saw that she was now even more terrified than before. He went to her side instantly. "Frasier was pretty upset. But I meant what I said, Daphne. I won't let him fire you. And I'll stay right here with you, if you want me to."

Daphne smiled. She seemed to take comfort in Niles' words. "Thank you." She stretched her arms out and leaned forward. Niles willingly accepted the hug. He held her tightly, savoring the feeling of her in his arms.

The scent of Daphne's hair overwhelmed Niles' senses. This seemed to be as close to heaven as he could ever imagine being. "I'll be right here," he whispered, not sure if he was talking to Daphne, or himself.

Daphne pulled out of the embrace. "Thank you for being so kind, Dr. Crane. You're a wonderful friend." This time, Niles could not hide his reaction to that word. When Daphne saw him flinch, she added, "In fact, you're one of me _best _friends. I don't know what I'd ever do without you!" She once again moved to hug him. This embrace was shorter than the last, but Niles didn't care. Being in her arms for even a moment was enough for him.

"Thank you, Daphne. You're my best friend, too. In fact, I, um..." Niles floundered, suddenly wishing he hadn't come so close to making his confession. Now definitely was not the time. He was almost relieved to hear a loud banging on the door.

"Niles? Open up, I know you're in there!" Frasier's voice boomed from the hallway. Niles and Daphne looked at each other, both frozen in fear.


	4. Chapter 4

Niles took a deep breath. "The longer Frasier stands out there, the angrier he'll be," he explained. Daphne nodded. He went over and opened the door.

"Thanks for answering so quickly!" Frasier exclaimed, sarcasm dripping from every syllable.

Immediately Daphne rose from her seat. "I'm so sorry, Dr. Crane! I'll pay to have your car repaired out of me salary. Of course, it'll probably take a hundred years, but still. I'll take full responsibility. But please, don't fire me!" Tears once again began to slide down her cheeks. Daphne could do nothing to stop them.

"Fire you?" Frasier asked, completely taken by surprise. "What gave you get that idea?"

"Well, I know how much you love your car, Dr. Crane. I mean, you hardly ever let anyone drive it. Not even Roz, or your brother!"

"I do take a great deal of pride in my car," Frasier admitted. "But I would never fire you. You work very hard, taking care of Dad. Did you think I would just forget that?"

Daphne tried to speak, but couldn't seem to find the words. Instead, she simply walked over to Frasier and hugged him. When she finally let go, her relief was visible on her face. "Thank you, Dr. Crane. You don't know how much this means to me."

"You're welcome Daphne. I guess you've had a pretty rough evening. Let's go home, and we can talk about this tomorrow." Frasier couldn't imagine what Daphne must've gone through, first being hit by another driver, _and_ thinking she might be out of a job.

Niles spoke up. "Actually, Daphne, I'd like to have a word with you in private. I could give you a ride back to Frasier's later, if that's all right with you." He couldn't believe what he was doing. But he refused to give in to second thoughts, otherwise, he would miss what might be his only chance.

"All right," Daphne replied, a little bewildered. "I'll see you at home," she said to Frasier. The elder Crane brother nodded, and started to turn towards the door. Suddenly, Daphne remembered something. "Wait, your keys," she said, handing them to him.

"Thanks," Frasier replied, giving her a smile that he hoped would let her know there were no hard feelings. After considering things for a moment, he glanced knowingly at his younger brother. "Are you sure...you'll be able to get Daphne home?"

Niles nodded, understanding the question his older brother was _really _asking. "Yes, Frasier. I'm sure. Daphne will be just fine."

Frasier nodded once more, then left, smiling to himself.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" Daphne asked, still slightly confused.

"I'll get to that in a minute. Would you like some champagne?"

Daphne nodded. "All right." She sat back down on the fainting couch. "Well, your brother sure took the news better than I thought." She laughed.

Niles walked over toward her, two champagne glasses in hand. He offered her one. Daphne smiled and thanked him. Niles nodded, nervously sitting next to Daphne. Suddenly, he felt his heart begin to race. He couldn't back out of this now. But, he'd made his decision so quickly, he hadn't given himself time to think about what he would actually _say_ once he was alone with her.

"Dr. Crane, are you all right? You seem nervous."

Niles laughed. Yes, Daphne certainly was psychic. "I am, a bit."

Daphne smiled warmly. She covered his hand with hers. "Dr. Crane, we're friends. Just take a deep breath, and say what's on your mind."

Niles had to remind himself to breathe. Daphne's compassion for others' feelings was one of the things he'd admired most about her. It was a quality Maris had lacked completely. But he pushed the thought from his mind. Thinking about Maris would hardly make this moment any easier. "All right," Niles began, when he had finally managed to calm himself. "You're absolutely right. We _are _friends. I don't think I realized until tonight just how lost I'd be without you."

"Oh, Dr. Crane. That's very sweet. I can't thank you enough for all you did for me tonight. I don't know what I would've done without you." Daphne squeezed his hand once again.

"You're welcome, Daphne. But you really don't need to thank me. I'd-I'd do anything for you." He looked down at his lap, then returned his gaze to her beautiful brown eyes. When he did, he noticed a tear remained on her cheek. He could not resist reaching over to wipe it away with his thumb.

Daphne could hardly believe this was happening. Dr. Crane had always been her friend. A very good friend. But now he was gently caressing her cheek in a way that most definitely was not platonic. To her own surprise, she found that she liked it. It made her entirely forget how terrified she'd been just a few minutes ago. Before she could register what was happening, Dr. Crane leaned forward to kiss the spot on her cheek where the tear had been. It was a gentle peck, not anything overtly romantic or sexual. But it made Daphne's heart skip a beat all the same.

When Niles leaned back, he could hardly believe what he'd done. He'd actually kissed the cheek of an angel. His heart was racing so fast, it was difficult to speak. "Daphne...I love you," he finally whispered.

Daphne hardly knew what to say. She had guessed from his body language the direction the conversation was going. But actually hearing the words was still a surprise. "I had no idea you felt this way," she stammered. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Oh...um...I was always afraid," Niles replied, a bit startled by the question. "But tonight, I realized that I could lose you at any time. If something had happened to you tonight, I'm not sure what I would've done." Niles looked down at his lap again.

Daphne smiled and squeezed his hand once more. "Well, I'm not going anywhere."

Niles looked up in surprise. Was she saying what he thought she was saying? His heart was now beating so hard he wouldn't have been surprised to see it completely leave his chest.

"Dr. Crane," Daphne said, still not quite ready to drop the formality. "I've always known that you were sweet and caring. But until tonight, I've never known just _how_ caring you are. When I think about it now, it all makes sense. You're always paying attention to me stories or complimenting me outfits. I guess I never gave much thought to the possibility that there could be something more between us. After all, you're a wealthy psychiatrist, and I'm just a poor girl from Manchester. What could you possibly want from me?"

"Before I met you, most of the women I knew were just like Maris, only interested in wealth and power. But you're not like that at all. Everything you do is for other people. All I've wanted to do since the moment we met is to make you happy."

Daphne smiled. "Well, I don't think I've ever been happier. Thank you, Dr. Crane...I mean, Niles."

Niles' heart swelled, hearing her say his name. "You're welcome." He leaned forward to kiss her, relieved when she did not pull away. This kiss had been a long time coming, but Niles didn't care. Some things, he decided, were worth waiting for.

**The End**


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